Feature

Lac – The versatile natural resin

S A Siddiqui

Lac is a unique gift of nature to the mankind,
especially to the people of India. It is the only natural resin of animal
origin, secreted by a tiny lac insect on some trees. It mostly consists of a
polyester type resin formed by fusion of hydroxyl fatty acids with sesquiterpene
acids besides having some colouring matter, wax, etc. Lac is an important
ingredient of several Ayurvedic and Unani formulations. Due to its wonderful
characteristics, shellac, the product of commerce, has a wide range of
applications in surface coating industries, electrical insulation, filling
materials, adhesives, controlled release fertilizer and other agricultural
formulations. Its recent uses include synthesis of bioactive and perfumery
compounds. It not only provides livelihood to nearly three million poor people
but also fetches foreign exchange through export.

Article

Sorrel
¾ A lesser-known source of medicinal soft drink and food in India

RD Gautam

Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. var. sabdariffa,commonly known as Sorrelor Lal Ambari is widely grown in
Africa and many countries in the Caribbean and Latin America as an important
commercial crop for its uses in food, feed, medicine and aesthetic value. In
India also it is cultivated on a small scale for edible calyces and ornamental
purposes in home gardens. It is used as medicine, herbal tea, and safer food
colouring agent especially in confectionaries but to a small extent. The
information available in literature and author’s observations on possibilities
of making a soft drink by utilizing its colouring constituent and sour taste
have been discussed in this paper to promote the potential of this plant in
manufacturing a natural and medicinal soft drink and food items like chutney
and sauces.

Some neglected spices in India

S B Gokhale1, P
V Joshi, A U Tatiya, S R Bakliwal and R A Fursule2*

Since antiquity spices have
been considered virtually indispensable in the culinary arts, they are used to
flavour foods and beverages all over the world. Spices add savor to insipid
dishes, a tang to beverages and are appetizer as well. Some are also used in
perfumery and cosmetics whereas others heal through medicine. Their
preservative, antiseptic, antibiotic and anti-oxygenic properties are also
esteemed throughout the world. India is one of the major spice producing and
exporting country in the world. According to latest figure compiled by spices
board, Government of India, Cochin, the export of spices from India during
1998-99 earned valuable foreign exchange worth over Rs.16500 million. Thus,
India alone contributes about 20-25 % of the total world trade in spice. Though
they are produced in India, few of them are neglected for their commercial use
as compared to others.

India produces four varieties of silk obtained
from four types of moths. These are known as Mulberry, Tussar, Eri and Muga.Muga silkworm, Antheraea assama Ww. producing golden yellow
silk, reared in outdoors is found only in Brahmaputra valley of Assam.
Now-a-days muga silkworm is very much susceptible to bacterial infection called
‘flacherie’ caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and developed certain
symptoms such as poor appetite, retarded growth, black body fluid and hanging
upside down. Terminalia chebula Retz. (Chebulic myrobalan; Assam ¾
Hilika; Hindi ¾ Harar), a moderate sized or large deciduous
tree found in North East India and other parts of the country was evaluated for
antibacterial property against P. aeruginosa strain AC-3 causing
‘flacherie’ in muga silkworm. A comparative study on the antimicrobial
properties of extracts prepared by different methods was performed in order to
choose the most efficient antimicrobial compounds for in vitro as well as
in vivo control of bacteria.

Green Page

Insulin
plant in gardens

Merina Benny

The genus CostusLinn. belongs tofamilyCostaceae,
which has been separated from family Zingiberaceae
on the basis of the presence of spirally
arranged leaves and rhizomes being free from aromatic essential oils. More than
100 species of the genus are distributed in the tropics all over the world.

Costus pictus
D. Don syn.Costus
mexicanus (DC.) Greene commonly known as
Spiral ginger, Stepladder or Insulin plant is a plant originated in Mexico. In
India it is grown in gardens as ornamental plant especially in Kerala in every
home. The major attraction of this plant is its stem with spiral leaves and
light airy and tissue paper like flowers. Red painted stem enhances the beauty
of the glossy linear leaves and strongly spiralling canes. The flowers are in a
terminal cone, yellow in colour with an orange red tip and this lasts for 3 – 4
days. Usually the plant grows up to 2 –3 m and spread 1.5 – 2 m. The flowers are
displayed in a dramatic form high above the leaves. While the flowers do not
produce an aroma, they do make a beautiful effect sitting atop of the tall
spiraling stems. Propagation is carried out through stem cuttings and also from
rhizomes.

The species is similar to Costus
speciosus (Koenig) Sm.,which iscommonly known as Channakkoova
in Kerala and Keu in Hindi. The leaves
of this species are less fleshy and have an acrid taste. The rhizomes are cooked
and eaten. Local people eat the leaves for curing diabetes. The roots are used
as tonic and anthelmintic.

The R&D section of Arjuna Natural Extracts Ltd.,
Kerala have first time studied scientifically the anti-hyperglycaemic activity
of C. pictus D. Don.

Medicinal plants used by the tribals for
hair disorders in

Melghat forest of Amravati district,
Maharashtra

Products from natural sources
are an integral part of human health care system because there are major concern
about synthetic drugs owing to their side effects and toxicity. The present
study is an attempt to investigate the medicinal plants used for hair disorders
by tribal women community based in the Melghat forest of Amravati district.
Twenty four plant species belonging to 22 families of ethnomedicinal
interest are recorded after survey and critical screening.

Mahuwa tree and the aborigines of North Maharashtra

D.A.Patil*1, Shubhangi Pawar2
and M V Patil3

Plants have been associated with health,
nutrition and overall care of mankind since time immemorial. Madhuca
indica J. F. Gmel.
(Family - Sapotaceae) is deeply
associated with the culture and livelihood of tribal people in North Maharashtra.
It provides them food, medicines, feed and medicines for their livestock, apart
from its miscellaneous utilities. It is boon for the poverty ridden forest
dwellers. However, this species has received hatred from the non-tribals in past
and even in present times. This trend has culminated into marginalization of
this plant in wild populations in this region. However, the aborigines concerned
are conserving it. This paper highlights its traditional uses by these tribal
people.

Ayurvedic Tips

Dehydration (Trsna Roga )

Prevention and Cure

Our body requires
certain amount of water and other elements, called electrolytes, to function
properly. Trsna Roga or dehydration is the condition that results from
excessive loss of water and minerals from the body. In this state thirst does
not quench even after repeated intake of water. Fluids are lost through sweat,
urine, bowel movements and breathing. Our vital organs like kidneys, brain and
heart can not function without a certain minimum amount of water and salt and if
it is not replaced, death may occur. Hence, when body looses too much water it
should be replaced by drinking and eating fluids and other water containing
items.

Causes

The main causes of
dehydration include vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever, exposure to the heat and
sun, excessive exercise, inadequate fluid intake, decreased thirst, perception,
gastroenteritis, cholera, urinary disorders and burns.

Signs of dehydration

The signs of mild
dehydration include increased thirst, dry lips and slightly dry mouth membranes
whereas in moderate cases very dry mouth membranes, sunken eyes, sunken
fontanelle (soft spot) on infant’s head and skin doesn’t bounce back quickly
when lightly pinched and released can be noticed. In severe conditions all signs
of moderate dehydration along with weak pulse (more than 100 at rest), cold
hands and feet, rapid breathing, blue lips, confusion, lethargy, difficulty in
walking, decreased urination, dizziness or feeling faint, nausea, fever, low
blood pressure, weight loss and leg cramps, etc. are
noticed. In infants there is lack of tears when crying and irritability
have also been observed.

One of the signs of dehydration is
dark yellow urine having bad smell. Urine should be clear; if it is not,
increase water intake until it becomes clear.

Don’t’s

·In dehydration apple
juice, chicken broth, cola or tea should not be given to children under two
years of age because these drinks do not contain the right balance of sugar,
salt and other elements. Caffeine increases the loss of water and salt. Even
plain water can cause problems, such as lowering the amount of salt or sugar in
the blood.

·Avoid foods and drinks
that contain a lot of sugar, such as ice cream, juice, soda pop and candy.
Should not take excess of pungent (Katu) and bitter (Tikta)
dietary items.

Do’s

·If there is diarrhoea
and no vomiting, plenty of ORS may be taken (if desire to take). If only
vomiting (without diarrhoea), try taking small amounts of the ORS often (one
teaspoon a minute to a child). For making ORS take half litre of boiled water
and mix to it half a 5ml teaspoon (or two pinches) of salt and four 5ml
teaspoons (or one handful) of sugar. Once the solution is prepared keep it in
the fridge and use within 24hours.

· To infants breast
feeding and formula feeding may continue while using an ORS.

·Fresh Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.)
fruit ground with clarified butter (Ghrita) and sour vinegar and made
into herbal paste (Kalka), may be applied locally on forehead.

·Fruits ofKharjura (Phoenix dactylifera
Linn.),Anar(Punica granatum Linn.) and
Jambu [Syzygium cuminii (Linn.) Skeels]are the
fruits recommended during dehydration. Milk may also be given if there is no
sign of diarrhoea and vomitting

Prevention

Drink plenty of fluids, even if you are busy or sick.

Drink fluids regularly while exercising or when outdoors
on a hot day.

Diarrhoea being major cause of dehydration care should be
taken to avoid it.

Cover yourself before going out in sun especially during
summer.

In
severely dehydrated condition one must get to a hospital and Intravenous fluids
(IVs) should be given to quickly reverse dehydration.

Dr.
Atul Kumar

M.D. (Ayurveda) E-mail:
atulkumar@niscair.res.in

Classified Digests

Food

Oats for arteries

When blood cells stick to and cause
inflammation of the artery wall, plaques build up. The accumulation called
atherosclerosis can eventually block the blood vessel. The research findings
revealed that oats are heart-friendly because of their high fibre content. Fiber
washes cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise be released
into the bloodstream. The scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts have
discovered that oats contain a compound, avenanthramides, which keep blood cells
from sticking to artery walls. It significantly suppress adhesive molecules
that glue blood cells to artery walls.

The suppression provided by
avenanthramides in oats may prevent this narrowing of the passageways through
which blood flows. To test the compounds' antiatherosclerotic activity, the
scientists purified avenanthramides from oats and exposed them to human arterial
wall cells over a 24 hour period. After observing the mixture under incubation,
scientists found significant reductions in both the expression of adhesion
molecules and the sticking of blood cells to arterial wall cells. Water-soluble
fibre in oats is believed to help reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol
circulating in blood.

Adding oat products as part of an
overall healthy diet and cutting down on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods are
important to gaining these benefits. As a grain, oats can be found in foods such
as enriched cereals and breads; as rolled oats, in oatmeal; and as oat bran, in
muffins or other baked foods. Researchers hope that plant breeders or genetic
engineers will create oats with high levels of avenanthramides [Marion Bliss,Agric Res, 2004, 52(6), 6-7].

Fruit

Water-insoluble fiber-rich fraction from the
pomace of Carambola

Various research reports have
established that dietary fibre can provide health-promoting effects such as
reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Averrhoa carambola Linn.,known as Carambola and Starfruit, is a popular juicy fruit throughout Asia.
Carambola juice is mostly used for making confectionary, juice concentrate and
refreshing drinks. After juice extraction in the food industry, thousands of
tonnes of Carambola pomace are produced and discarded as feeds. It is reported
that Carambola is rich in dietary fiber, especially insoluble fibre and contains
a high concentration of water-insoluble fibre-rich fraction (WIFF) (50.8 g/100 g
of pomace, dry weight), which is the predominant fibre fraction (~80% of the
total dietary fibre) and possesses distinctive physico-chemical properties.

Researchers at Department of Food
Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, Republic of China evaluated
the effects of a novel pomace fibre on lipid and cholesterol metabolism in the
hamster and compared with those of cellulose-added and fibre-free diet as
controls. Pomace sample of the fruit was collected from a food industry where it
is left after the juice extraction process. Water-insoluble fibre-rich fraction
(WIFF) was prepared from the powdered sample (0.5 mm) using cold distilled water
as a solvent.

The results showed
that the consumption of Carambola WIFF decreased (P < 0.05) the
concentrations of serum triacylglycerol, serum total cholesterol, and liver
cholesterol, and increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of faecal total
lipids, faecal cholesterol, and faecal bile acids. The intake of WIFF also
increased the faecal bulk and moisture. These pronounced cholesterol- and
lipid-lowering effects of WIFF might be attributed to its ability to enhance the
excretion of cholesterol and bile acids via faeces. Thus, Carambola WIFF can be
used as a promising cholesterol-lowering ingredient in human diets or new
formulations of fibre-rich functional foods [Chau et al,Nutr
Res, 2004, 24(5), 337-345].

Insecticide/Fungicide

Mosquitocidal effectofBitter Gourd leaf extracts

The vector-borne diseases (VBDs),
malaria, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, etc., are increasing and
have been spreading to newer areas recently due to the increased risk of
transmission fuelled by developmental activities, demographic changes and
introduction of new products. All over the world, more than 50% of persons with
filariasis receive their infections from the bites of mosquitoes, particularly
Culex quinquefasciatus (Say). This species of mosquito and the incidence
of filariasis are quite abundant in India, particularly in Chidambaram town of
Tamil Nadu. Natural products are generally preferred because of their less
harmful nature to non-target organisms and due to their innate biodegradability.
Prabakar and Jebanesan of Vector Biology Division, Department of Zoology,
Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar carried over studies to assess the
larvicidal properties of leaf extracts of five Cucurbitacious plants against
C. quinquefasciatus.

Therapeutics

Flaxseed effective in prostate cancer

Under new
discoveries, the CNN recently reported that flaxseed, Linum usitatissimum
Linn. (Linseed, Hindi ¾Alsi)
is proving to be effective in treating prostate cancer. The study reported in
Neurology Journal found that limiting dietary fat to 20 per cent of calories
while eating three heaping tablespoons of freshly
ground flaxseed every day can significantly slow down prostate cancer
growth. They can be mixed with water, any fruit or vegetable juice. They can be
added to salads, soups, yoghurt, cereals and even baked goods. Flaxseed and
flaxseed oil should be kept refrigerated. Whole flaxseeds must be ground within
24 hours of use, otherwise the ingredients lose their activity.

Flaxseed is a rich,
vegetarian source of omega-3 and omega-6 essential
fatty acids that are critical in the production of prostaglandins. In the
body prostaglandins help regulate fat metabolism, inflammatory response,
hormones, as well as the cardiovascular, immune and central nervous systems. It
is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential
fatty acids in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation while most omega-6 fatty acids
tend to promote inflammation. A proper balance of essential fatty acids helps
maintain and even improve health, while an inappropriate balance contributes to
the development of disease.

In addition to
important omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed also contains a group of chemicals
called lignans - plant compounds that, in this case, are believed to bind to
testosterone, the male hormone thought to spur the growth of such cancer. The
lignans thus impedes testosterone’s action – helping to slow the progression of
the cancer. Studies suggest that flaxseed - both the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
and the lignans in flaxseed - may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment
of not only prostate cancer but also other diseases (Herbal Remedies Natural
Health Newsletter, November 2003, Issue 222).

Vegetable

Packaging and
storage of broccoli

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is commonly used to maintain the quality and
improve the shelf life of foodstuffs. Scientists at The Swedish Institute for
Food and Biotechnology investigated the sensory quality of broccoli stored raw
in different commercially available packaging solutions with an aim to study the
effect of cooking, after storing the fresh broccoli in MAP.

During experiment freshly harvested
broccoli (Brassica oleraceaLinn. var. italicacv. ‘Marathon’) was obtained from a grower in Sweden. The broccoli was
cooled unpacked overnight, before being subjected to the experiments the next
morning, i.e. one day after harvesting. Only broccoli heads, 200–300 g, free
from decay, were used.

Oriented
polypropylene (OPP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
were used as packaging materials. The LDPE contained an ethylene-absorbing
sachet. The samples were stored for 1 week, either at a constant temperature of
10°C or for 3 days at 4 °C, followed by 4 days at 10 °C. The atmospheres that
were developed inside the different packaging materials during storage differed
significantly. After storage, the broccoli was evaluated both raw and cooked
using a triangle test and a quantitative descriptive analysis. The triangle test
showed significant differences in the smell of broccoli stored in different
packaging materials after cooking. No differences were detected in the raw
broccoli. The quantitative descriptive analysis showed significant differences
in the fresh smell and flavour, the chewing resistance, and the crispness,
between samples after cooking. Overall, including all the sensory properties
studied, broccoli packaged in LDPE (5% O2, 7% CO2) that
contained an ethylene absorber was perceived to be the sample most similar to
fresh broccoli. There were no differences in weight loss between broccoli stored
in the different packaging materials [Jacobsson et al, Food Quality
Prefer, 2004, 15(4), 301-310].

In Brief

Coconut oil cake – A potential raw material for the production of α-amylase

The extensive
application of amylases in the food industry such as baking, brewing,
preparation of digestive aids, production of chocolate cakes, moist cakes, fruit
juices, starch syrups, etc. has paved a way for their large-scale commercial
production. Coconut oil cake (COC) is a byproduct obtained after oil extraction
from dried copra. COC is generally fed to animals and finds no other
application. It contains starch, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, lipids and
trace amounts of nitrogen. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) was carried out by
Ramachandran and others of Biotechnology Division, Regional Research Laboratory,
CSIR, Thiruvananthapuram, India and Department of Agricultural and Chemical
Technology, University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary using coconut oil cake as
substrate for the production of α-amylase using a fungal culture of
Aspergillus oryzae. Raw COC supported the growth of the culture, resulting
in the production of 1372 U/gds α-amylase in 24 hr. Process optimization using a
single parameter mode showed enhanced enzyme titre, which was maximum (1827
U/gds) when SSF was carried out at 30°C for 72 hr using a substrate with 68%
initial moisture. Supplementation with glucose and starch further enhanced
enzyme titre, which was maximum (1911 U/gds) with 0.5% starch. However, maltose
inhibited the enzyme production. Studies on the effect of addition of external
organic and inorganic nitrogenous compounds further showed a positive impact on
enzyme synthesis by the culture. Increase of 1.7-fold in the enzyme activity
(3388 U/gds) was obtained when peptone at 1% concentration was added to the
fermentation medium. The enzyme production was growth-related, the activity
being the maximum when the fungal biomass was at its peak at 72 hr. These
studies showed that COC could be a good substrate for α-amylase synthesis by
fungal culture of A. oryzae. Use of COC as raw material for enzyme
synthesis could be of great commercial significance [Ramachandran et al,
Bioresour Technol, 2004, 93 (2), 169-174].

Bicycle from vegetable leather

Bicycles have been made using
vegetable leather with partnership between the Ministry of the Environment
Amazon Life and WWF-Brazil. The vegetable leather known as TreetapÒ,
is made from natural rubber and was produced by three rubber-tapping communities
in Amazonia. The new products made using natural rubber guarantee the
sustainable use of forest resources and income of the local population [Non-Wood
News, No.11, March
2004, 12).